If you've ever shot in low-light conditions, chances are some of your photos have come out partially or completely blurry or out-of-focus. This is typically caused by what is called “camera shake” or lack of image stabilization. Camera shake is particularly problematic at slow shutter speeds and is caused when the camera is handheld. [Note: It can also occur when using a telephoto (long focal length) lens.] We can humorously call this the “shaky-hand syndrome.” Because you’re exposing your image for such a long period of time during this process, each small movement or shake – even if unnoticeable - will cause the exposure to blur, consequently negatively impacting the sharpness and quality rendering of your image.

You can easily prevent this from occurring by using a flash as well as a tripod to remove any such shaking.